Facebook will address 11 of 17 of the company’s oversight board recommendation areas, taking action on such things as Instagram policy updates and improving automated detection, Facebook announced Thursday. The company is “committed to action” on 11 items, “assessing feasibility” of five items and not taking action on one item, “since it relates to softening our enforcement of COVID-19 misinformation,” Facebook said. The board recommended the company adopt “less intrusive measures” in cases where “users post information about COVID-19 treatments that contradicts the specific advice of health authorities and where a potential for physical harm is identified but is not imminent.” The company disagreed “the content implicated in this case does not rise to the level of imminent harm.” Facebook is assessing feasibility of how users can appeal moderation decisions, information about automation in cases of enforcement action, expansion of transparency reporting, community standard specifics and the recommendation to provide a public list of “dangerous” organizations.
Global artificial intelligence revenue in 2021, including software, hardware and services, is forecast to grow 16.4% year over year to $327.5 billion, reported IDC Tuesday. It projects the market will surpass $500 billion by 2024. Software generated 88% of 2020 AI revenue, though its projected 17.3% five-year annual growth rate makes it the lowest growth category in this sector, said IDC. "The global pandemic has pushed AI to the top of the corporate agenda," said analyst Ritu Jyoti. “AI is becoming ubiquitous across all the functional areas of a business.”
Smart traffic management systems will save cities $277 billion globally by 2025 by reducing emissions and congestion, up from $178 billion this year, said Juniper Research Monday. High-traffic smart intersections, leveraging connectivity and artificial intelligence-based automation, monitor and manage traffic flow based on real-time data, potentially slashing time wasted in road congestion by as much as 33 hours yearly per motorist, it said.
It was a “transformational year” for Dropbox, as the world “abruptly shifted to working from home due to the pandemic,” said CEO Drew Houston on a Q4 call Thursday. “We helped many of our customers through this transition” and “adapted quickly to the new environment ourselves,” reorienting product “to address many of the new challenges and opportunities that distributed work presents,” he said. Revenue for the year increased 15% to $1.91 billion, he said: “We ended 2020 with more than 15 million paying users and 525,000 business teams.” Dropbox experienced a surge in demand during the onset of COVID-19, including “elevated trial starts” that were “mostly isolated to the first half,” said Houston. “Engagement broadly has been up.” Permanent work-from-home rituals in 2021 and beyond “will be a tailwind, given that folks are shifting to distributed work and Dropbox becomes a lot more important when you're working out of the screen,” he said. “We see a lot of opportunity to address new pain points in the virtual work experience. Everybody has a need to keep all their content organized. It's a very fragmented and distracting and overwhelming experience now.”
Let E-rate funds be used for remote learning, providers, industry and advocacy groups told the FCC in comments posted Wednesday in docket 21-31 on a petition led by the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition (see 2101260055). Granting this petition would “further the public interest by meeting pressing educational needs, and do so without jeopardizing public health, ” said Amazon, echoed by Microsoft and Apple. The homework gap has “grown into a remote learning gulf,” said Microsoft. Wireless internet access should also play a "critical role" in connecting students, as weekly wireless data use increased nearly 30% since July, said the Competitive Carriers Association, which CTIA echoed. The temporary request should be “administratively and financially separate from the traditional E-rate program,” because it would “likely substantially increase the amount of funding,” said AT&T. Consider a “supplemental application window” to support off-campus E-rate support, Verizon suggested. Speed is essential, and rules should be simplified for schools interested in applying E-rate funds for off-campus use, said USTelecom, which NCTA echoed. Allow flexibility in how E-rate funds are used to meet the needs of schools and students, said New America, Public Knowledge, Consumer Reports, the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society and Access Humboldt. "Declare that so long as remote learning connections and services are used primarily for educational purposes, cost allocation is unnecessary during the pandemic emergency and through the end of the 2021 E-Rate fiscal year." Existing mechanisms "afford the commission the ability to address this extraordinary need created by the pandemic," said ACA Connects.
Stakeholders are seeking simple enrollment in the FCC's $3.2 billion emergency broadband benefit program, they said in replies due Tuesday in docket 20-445. Adopt a broad definition of “household," Public Knowledge asked. The National Council of Urban Indian Health raised concerns about eligibility requirements, asking the commission to let tribal citizens not residing on tribal lands participate “to the same extent that American Indians and Alaska Natives residing on tribal lands are able.” Encourage broadest adoption so the hardest-hit communities can participate, said the LGBT Technology Partnership & Institute. That includes allowing noneligible telecom carriers to take part, it and others said. The group sided with AT&T in asking the commission to provide a 90-day notice that the funds are projected to be exhausted. Starry said non-ETCs should be automatically approved if they can “objectively show that they currently offer a discounted service to low-income consumers or individuals adversely affected” by the COVID-19 pandemic. ETCs should get the opportunity to participate “even outside their designated ETC service area,” said CTIA. Others disagreed. The California Public Utility Commission said non-ETCs should “submit election notices and compliance plans that will be reviewed and approved." Others asked that the program include support for equipment like Wi-Fi routers and hot spots. The Competitive Carriers Association asked to include smartphones as a “connected device” and focus on “whether a device meets minimum requirements to support the kinds of functions needed for online learning and other similar applications.” Tracfone, which is being bought by Verizon, said the definition of “tablet” should include “4G/LTE-capable devices with a touchscreen that support video conferencing.” The Illinois Office of Broadband supported leveraging resources of state authorities to promote awareness and suggested providing financial support. The FCC should confirm that it, not states and localities, has enforcement authority because that would otherwise “disincentivize provider participation,” said Altice.
MVPDs will shift from developing their own third-party digital media adapters to developing apps that can run on third-party DMAs such as Apple TV 4K or Android-based alternatives, Colliers' Steven Frankel wrote investors Tuesday. This could remove development delays that have hampered Universal Electronics Inc. over the past few years, said the analyst. UEI's Q4 call is Thursday at 4:30 p.m. EST.
Dismissing DOJ’s lawsuit against California’s net neutrality law (SB-822) doesn’t require postponing a Feb. 23 hearing on a pending preliminary injunction motion by ISP associations, said industry plaintiffs and California in a Tuesday joint status report (in Pacer). The court asked last week how DOJ's withdrawal affected the case (see 2102090053). California’s position is DOJ’s exit “underscores Defendant’s arguments that SB 822 is not preempted” because “there is no currently operative statement” suggesting that from the FCC or U.S., said the report in case 2:18-cv-02684 at U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of California. But plaintiffs say it has “no bearing on Plaintiffs’ claims that SB 822 violates the Supremacy Clause,” it said.
Facebook’s oversight board should permanently ban former President Donald Trump from the platform, advocates commented this week (see 2101280055). A permanent ban would “show others that this kind of hateful and harmful speech will not be tolerated on Facebook,” said Common Sense CEO Jim Steyer. Ending the ban would be “an invitation to violence, hate and disinformation that will cost lives and undermine democracy,” said Common Sense in an open letter to the board. Eight other advocacy groups commented with Common Sense on the case, questioning whether the board has “the authority to reinstate” the suspended account. The groups included the Anti-Defamation League, the Asian American Organizing Project, Free Press, MediaJustice and the National Hispanic Media Coalition. The board “must act in the public interest and prioritize the health and safety of our communities,” they wrote. “If the Board believes that Facebook’s insufficient protocols prevent it from affirming Trump’s suspension, then the Board should decline to resolve this matter until Facebook’s house is in order.” Access Now agreed with Trump’s removal but criticized the platform’s lack of transparency and “the uneven application of the company’s Terms of Service globally,” while drawing attention to “the platform’s powerful position in determining public discourse.” The most “important questions to ask are: How do platforms moderate content? And how do their rules regulate freedom of expression?" said Access Now Europe Policy Analyst Eliska Pirkova.
The FCC is seeking assistance with outreach efforts for the $3.2 billion emergency broadband benefit program, it said Thursday (see 2102090048). Interested individuals and organizations can sign up here. “We all have a part to play in this effort,” said acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel in a statement. “I hope every one of you will join us as we seek to raise awareness about this opportunity to get more of us connected.”